A journey that began in 1978 ended Friday in Webster City, as the 41-year tenure of Perry head coach Mike Long came to an end when the host Lynx posted a 9-4 win over the Bluejays in their Class 3A District 4 Semifinal.[wpedon id=”85410″ align=”left”]
Long’s team scrapped throughout but could not keep pace with the hot-hitting and speedy pitching of the hosts.
Perry (9-12) was on the board first with a run in the top of the first inning. Gavin Boyer drew a one-out walk, with courtesy runner Kaden Boyer moving to second on an Aaron Lockwood single. A fielder’s choice put Boyer at third and Austin Carpenter at first when Perry instituted a double-steal, with Boyer scoring without a throw when the Lynx opted for the third out by nailing Carpenter at second, only to have the throw skip away.
Webster City (17-5) countered with a two-out rally in their first at-bat.
Dylan Steen walked and scored on a two-base outfield error, with Jordan Tanner doubling home the second run. Tanner went to third on a passed ball and then scored on a balk, giving the hosts a 3-1 lead.
Nick Hackbarth doubled and scored on a Steen base hit in the second to push the Lynx lead to 4-1, but Perry plated two runs in the third to close to within a run.[wpedon id=”85410″ align=”left”]
Kyle Lockwood singled to start the Bluejay rally, with Kaleb Olejniczak and Gavin Boyer walking to load the bases. Aaron Lockwood came through with a two-run base hit to bring the visitors to within 4-3, but Lynx ace Steen induced two quick outs to limit the damage.
Max Hackbarth replaced Steen and had to deal with a Perry attack that continued to put runners on the bases, but the Jays could not convert, stranding four runs over three frames.
The Lynx were not about to wait around for the Jays to suddenly catch fire, and used four consecutive hits to score three times in the fifth, then added two additional runs in the sixth as their lead swelled to 9-3.
Olejniczak reached on an infield single to start the Perry seventh and sped home when Aaron Lockwood drove a double to the fence in left-center. That chased Hackbarth for Caleb Olson, who forced a dribbler back to the mound, and, after walking Keghan West, a ground out to end the game.
West threw all six innings for Perry, allowing nine runs (six earned) on 10 hits and two walks, one of them intentional. He hit one batter and finished with two strikeouts.
Steen tossed three frames, allowing three runs on three hits while walking three batters, hitting one and fanning four. Hackbarth went 3-1/3 innings to pick up the win in relief, surrendering one run on four hits while walking one, putting Aaron Lockwood aboard intentionally and striking out six. Olson walked one while recording two outs.
Steen drove in four runs for the hosts on four singles. He scored twice, with Noah McKinney adding a double, Max Hackbarth a two-run single and two runs scored and Tanner a single, a double and two stolen bases. Nick Hackbarth scored twice while hitting a double and a single for the Lynx.[wpedon id=”85410″ align=”left”]
Olejniczak scored twice for Perry while reaching on a single and a walk, with Gavin Boyer walking twice and hitting a double. Aaron Lockwood had the biggest night at the plate for Perry, hitting two singles and a double while driving in three runs and scoring three times. He was intentionally walked as well, reaching base all four times in his final prep contest.
West had a single and a walk, Kyle Lockwood a single and a run scored, with Kaden Boyer scoring while Justin Stammer reached base with a walk, a hit-by-pitch and on a catcher’s interference.
Aaron Lockwood, Gavin Boyer and Carpenter played their final games for Perry in the setback.
Webster City will host Humboldt (18-14) Monday at 7 p.m. The Pirates beat Clear Lake (20-13), 5-2, in the first game of Friday’s twin billing. The winner will travel to Boone Wednesday at 7 p.m. to face the District 3 winner, where host Boone, an 11-0 winner Friday over Iowa Falls-Alden, will battle Gilbert, an 8-2 victor against Algona.
